Local farmers Maya Dailey (Maya’s Farm) and Erich Schultz (Steadfast Farm) take a minute to reflect on their experience as local growers in the Valley, what makes them unique and why they love Phoenix Public Market.

Farmer’s markets provide a low-barrier entry point for a budding farmer for them to see if they can be profitable. Shopping at a farmer’s market helps small farmers keep their cash flow positive that helps them continue doing business. If they keep on going, with the support of shoppers, there will only be growth.

It helps the local economy and community

Our vendors come from within 50 miles of the City of Phoenix and it’s no surprise that most of the stuff they sell is locally grown or made. By shopping here, your money stays local; the money is passed on from one consumer to the next and helps establish a stronger local economy. The market also serves as a gathering place for the local community that helps build and strengthen relationships and camaraderie between neighbors of all backgrounds.

Source Local This Father’s Day
Here’s our Market Guide to a perfect day for dad.

Join us at the Market each Saturday to find everything you need for a Fathers Day feast, whether grilling outdoors or cooking up something special in the kitchen. Source more than just delicious foods locally, shop local gifts for dad too! You can find special gifts like…

One of our favorite things at the Market is the fact we get to meet the growers and producers, ask questions and learn how our foods and products are grown and made. Traceability is important, we should know where our food comes from just the same we like to know it’s organic. We should be able to see and understand the food chain and what we’re buying and consuming.

Look our new for the Locally Sourced badge at the Market!

Vendors offering products featuring more than 50% locally-sourced ingredients are being awarded “Phoenix Public Market Approved” badges. In addition to the nutritional and health benefits, choosing these products keeps even more money in the local economy, leading to a healthier sustainable community.

We have power as consumers and where we choose to use our spending power makes an impact! When you choose to shop local you support.

Kari Snodgrass first tried making some body care products when she was in high school, after her sensitive skin reacted to products bought in stores. It wasn’t until several years later when she considered turning it into a business.

“I didn’t even know you could make your own soap,” she said about her high school experiment.

Now, Kari works full time running Studio 11 Soap, a soap and body care business, that primarily sells at the Phoenix Public Market.

With all the local marketplaces and events this time of year, those of us who are embedded in our community of local do-ers and movers don’t necessarily need an annual tradition boosted by a credit card company to remember the importance of supporting local economy. Still, Small Business Saturday is another one of those special days each year that we love, appreciate, and look forward to.

According to the National Retail Federation, about 164 million consumersare expected to shop on Black Friday in 2017. For the seventh year, Small Business Saturday plans to redirect some of those shoppers to local businesses across the country rather than big-box retailers. For every $100 spent at a local business, $43 stays in local economy, whereas only $13 stays in local economy if spent at a non-locally-owned business.

Recently, we heard of the devastating passing of Downtown Phoenix community member Monika Woosley. She left behind a powerful legacy that can only intrigue and inspire. Monika founded Hip Veggies in 2012 as an outlet for her passion for community, food, art, and outreach. Through Hip Veggies, among many subjects, she taught us about foraging in Phoenix; about how easy and fulfilling it can be and how important it is to our Arizonan culture.

This weekend, we honor her by digging into some foraging knowledge imparted by her foraging friend and colleague, The Green Man himself, Andrew Pisher. Andrew grew up in upstate New York and moved to Phoenix 13 years ago in search of sun. He is an entrepreneur to the core, always thinking up ways to embrace Mother Nature (literally–this is a man who seriously loves to climb trees) with his certification in urban farming and ongoing studies in nutrition.

Treelation, his tree trimming and removal company, works with residents through his Foraging Fanatics service to make use of excess from trees that bear edibles or have medicinal properties. Many residents are overwhelmed by the harvest, leaving it misunderstood, unwanted, and disregarded. With Foraging Fanatics, Andrew is able to accrue pounds and pounds of excess fruits, herbs, legumes, and nuts native to our state. He then sells that harvest in bulk through his website, thus making would-be rotted or dried out trash profitable. Andrew’s business, and foraging in general, is a win-win for our ecosystem and its inhabitants.

The Phoenix Division of the Slow Food Movement is gaining traction in our community, where the focus is placed on local culinary heritage and social justice. The Slow Food Movement, globally and nationally, aims to deepen the public’s awareness surrounding our food systems and how they affect just about every aspect of our livelihood on this planet. A daunting task, surely, so let’s start with lunch.

Slow Food Phoenix’s most recent project is entitled “Feeding the Future,” during which attendees will sample diverse dishes made by a bold lineup of beloved chefs, including Charleen Badman of Scottsdale’s FnB and Eddie Hantas of East Valley favorite Hummus Xpress. There’s a twist to this sampling event, though: each chef’s budget will reflect the current National School Lunch Program (NSLP) budget, and will be served in the style of an American school lunch.

We are thrilled to see so many new faces moving in downtown. As a part of the major development taking place in the neighborhood, the City of Phoenix has begun construction on 1st Street as part of an improvement project that will extend down to Marget T. Hance Park. We’ll keep you updated with the best routes to take to the Market. You can easily access the Market going north of south on 1st Street.

You can still find plenty of available parking surrounding the Market. Parking off of Mckinley remains accessible when turning off Central or 1st Street. Scroll down to reference our Construction Notice Map for more details.